wheeler



` (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. A. WHEELER MACHINE EUR CLOSING DUWN THE SEAMS 0E SHEET METAL PIPES.

,891 Patented Mar. 14,1882.

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WITNESSES, IWVEJVTOR.

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` W. A. WHEELER. MACHINE EOE GEOSINGDOWN @FEE SEAMS 0E SHEET METAL'EIPES. No. 254,891. Patented Mar.14,1882.

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N4 PETERS. Pham-Lithography, Wasmnglcn. D. c4

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

W. A. WEEELEE. MACHINE EUR CLOSING DOWN THESEAMS 0E SHEET METAL PIPES. E0. 254,891.

Patented Mar. 14,718 82..

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'I UNITED y STATES PATENT (FEICE.

VILLIAM vA. VH EELER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR CLOSING DOWN THI SEAIVIS 0F SHEET-METAL PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Patent No. 254,891, dated March 14, 1882. Appncation inea November 5, Iasi. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. WHEELER, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Closing Down the Seams of Sheet-Metal Pipe, by which sections of such pipe areA jointed together, of which the following isaspecitication.

The object of my said invention is to produce a machine which shall rapidly and efticiently close down the circumferential seams of stove-pipe elbows, thereby joining theseveral sections together; and itconsists in certain combinations ot' mechanism and details of construction, as will hereinafter be more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are madea part hereof, and on which similar letters ofy reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention 5 Fig. 2, a view there of as seen from the dotted line w x in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a top or plan view of the top part of the machine; Fig. 4, an under side plan of a portion of the machine 5 Fig. 5, a detail view of the same parts shown in the bottom portion of Fig. 2, but in different position; Fig. 6, a vertical section of the machine on the dotted line y y; Fig. 7, a detail' plan, looking downwardly from the dotted line ze; and Fig. S, a view in some respects similar to the top -portion of Fig. 6, but showing a portion'of an elbow in the machine and being operated upon.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the outside frame-work of the machine; B B', bridge-trees therein; GDE, boxes thereon; F, a hollow standard secured in the box C; G, a hollow shaft surrounding the standard F; H, a vertically-moving rod inside said hollow standard; I, acircular frame-work Y mounted on the standard F; J, a revolving frame-work mounted on the shaft G; K, jaws mounted upon the arms of the frame-work J,

and which are revolved thereby; L, an invertedcone-shaped head upon Vthe upper end of the rod H 5 M, a shaft whereby, through the usual pulleys and gears, the shaft G is revolved; N, a treadle 5 O, a device connecting said treadle to the rod II; P,`a rod connecting said treadl'e to the toggle-center'K, and Q a section of elbow being operated upon.

and support the hollow standard F' and the hollow shaft G. 5

' rIhe hollow standard F is rigidly secured to the box or bearing G by the set-screw c, and supports the stationary frame I, the position of the latter thereon being determined by the collar f. The relative height of this standard to the frame-work is rendered adjustable by meansof the set-screw c, as when said set-screw is loosened said standard can be easily moved up a'nd down in its bearing. I

The revolving shaft G restsin the bearings D and E on the bridge-trees and supports the revolving frame J and the mechanism attached thereto. the step G2, in which the collar g thereon re-A volves. vIt is actuated by the shaft M through the gear-wheels M G'.

The central rod, H,is sustained by tlhetreadle N, and carries the inverted-cone-shaped head L, or an equivalent toggle-joint mechanism. The frame-work I is securely attached to the standard F, and is adapted to receive the section of pipe or elbow in such nanner that it will be surrounded by the ring which forms the top portion of said frame-work, arid which serves to support said elbow in position while being operated upon by the machine.` Segments I are mounted on the central portion of this frame-work by pivots z', and serve as inside clamps for the pipe or elbowwhile in the machine, said segments being at such times forced outwardly by the head L. Springs i. hold said segments back when not forcibly thrown forward, and small anti-friction trucks 2 prevent too much wear of the parts.

The frame-work or casting J is firmly secured to the hollow shaft G by the set-screw j, or some other appropriate means, and is revolved thereby. The arms of this frame-Work are rendered adjustable in length by being divided into three portions, the two outer ones,

It receives its direct support fromV 'J', of which are movable on the central or main portion. The movable portions, J', are secured to the central portion by bolts j', which pass through them, and are secured against being drawn apart farther than is desired by the cross-bolts J2, which are adjusted by means of nutsj2 thereon, as shown. The reason for having the arms J' J' adjustable is that it is necessary to vary the distance between the rollers Ks K3 when different-sized pipe is operated upon by the machine. It is also necessary to vary it slightly as these rollers wear, which they do quite rapidly.

Thejaws K are pivoted to the arm portions J' of the revolving frame-work J by the pivots jg. They are also sec`ured to a toggle-center, K', by the toggle-links k, which, when pulled down, expand the lower ends of said jaws apart, and throw the to'ps of the jaws toward each other. Upon the upper ends ofthe arms K are small steel wheels or disks K3, which are the devices which perform the work of closing down the seams of the elbow, in connection with the circular frame I, which is the work for which this machine is constructed. I consider the form of wheels shown as the best; but they may be varied in form, or other equivalent devices substituted, without departing from my invention.

The cone-shaped head L, when forced down by the rod H, spreads out the clamps I' against the inside of the section ot' pipe or elbow in the machine at the time. Its position ou the rod may be adjusted to any point required, it being secured in position by the set-screw l. A

,device embodying the essential elements of a toggle-joint might be employed instead of this head with substantially the same results.

The shaft M is simply an ordinary drivingshaft, bearing wheels and pulleys in the usual manner, as shown. The treadle N is attached, as shown, both to the rod H by means of the device 0 and to the vertically-moving togglecenter K' by means ofthe rod P, and thus when said treadle is forced down the clamps I' are forced out, and the jaws K are forced in, by the mechanism described.

The device O is pivoted to the bottom of the rod H by a bolt, It. To the frame A is attached a downwardlyprojecting piece, A', from the face of which projects a stud, e',with which this device comes in contact. The attachment to the treadleis made by means of a similar stud, n. .The device is recessed upon both sides, and one or the other of these studs is in engagement with one of the recesses at all times. When the treadle is in raised position the stud n rests in the recess on the front side of the device, as shown in Fig. 2, and there remains until the rod H is pulled down far enough to permit the stud a' to enter the other recess, when the stud a passes out of its recess and down the face of the device, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus while thev movement of the treadleis comparatively considerable themovevice O and the stud a'.

meut of the rod H is defined by the distance between the recess on the rear side ofthe de- The movement of the clamps I' is thus permitted to be completed before that of the jaws K. The device O is returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 as the treadle rises in the following manner: When the stud n arrives opposite the notch in said device the gravity of the latter carries it forward far enough to cause the notch therein to engage with said stud, and to part contact with the stud a'. This enables said-device to rise far enough, so that the stud a' is so far out of its notch as to lose its hold thereon, and the force ofthe upward movement otthe treadle accomplishes the rest. It will be noticed in this connection that the upper side of the notch into which the stud u enters hooks over somewhat, and is thereby the better enabled to catch onto said stud, while the lower corner of the other notch is somewhat rounded off, thus allowing it to release itself' from the pin a' more readily.

The rod P is rigidly attached to the crotched head P', the arms p' of which extend part way around the toggle-centerK', and through which the projecting pivots k' on the trunnioned ring K2 pass. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the lower end of this rod is slotted, and therefore is not operated upon by the treadle until after it has pulled the rod H down into place, and the clamps I' are thereby operated. This is so that said clamps may firmly support the inside of the pipe before thejaws K bring the closingdown wheels Ka'against the outside thereof, and by the use of only a single treadle.

The treadle N is held in raised position, except when forcibly depressed by the spring N', and the rod P by the spring P2. The rod P is prevented from moving sidewise by the projections a, which extend on each side thereof from the frame, as shown most plainly in Fig. 7.

The operation of my machine may be recapitulated as follows: The pipe or section of elbow Q is'irst set inside the ring which forms the top portion of the frame I. The treadle N is then forced down, which first pulls down the rod H and y expands the clamps I' until they bear against the inside of the pipe forming the elbow. It then, through the rod P, head P', ring K2, device K', and toggle-arms 7c, expands the lower ends of the jaws K, bringing the top ends thereof-toward each other and clamping the seam of the elbow between the ring ofthe frame I and the wheels K3 on said jaws. The hollow shaft G, being in motion, revolves the franje-work J and said jaws and wheels rapidly, thus closing said seams tightly together and completing the construction of the elbow.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for closing down the seams connecting sections of sheet metal pipe together, the combination of a circular frame of IOO IIO

about the same diameter inside as the outside diameter of the pipe for supporting said pipe, rollers carried by jaws which revolve around outside of said frame and said pipe, means for revolving said jawsfand means for bringing said rollers down close to said frame, whereby they are enabled to force the crimps-forming the seam ot' said pipe down upon the top of said frame, and thus pinch said seams tightly together, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the outside revoluble hollow shaft carrying the arms andjaws, means whereby said jaws may be operated, the inside stationary hollow shaft carrying the frame and inside clamps, and the inside vertically-movaable rod, whereby said clamps may be operated, substantially as set forth.

3. Thecombination,withtheclampsfor holding the pipe while being operated upon, of the treadle N, device O, studs n anda', and rod H, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination ot the treadle N, rod P, head P', trunnioned ring K2, toggle-center K', toggle-links k, and jaws K, the upper ends of which are armed with devices for closing` the pipe seams, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with the jaws K, having suitable devices upon their upper ends for closing the pipe-seams, of the device J having adjustable arms J', whereby the distance between saidjaws may be increased or lessened, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the adjustable arms J', of the tie-rods J2, whereby said arms are secured in position and are at the same time rendered accurately adjustable, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the treadle N, rod H, head L, clamps I I', vibratingjaws K, pivotcd at j, and carrying closing-down wheels, and mechanism for operating the same, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 45 l' 1st day of November, A. D. 1881.

WILLIAM A. WHEELER. Witnesses:

C. BRADFORD, C. L. THURBER. 

